Halo Return
by ERKarcha
Summary: Following the Events after Halo 3, as Master Chief and Cortana drift though space. Please R
1. Chapter 1

The sparks had stopped. Power almost gone. The ship was dark and quiet. Inside a cargo bay, sitting on a holo-pad, was Cortana.

The script that ran across her body was dark and thoughtful. Nothing light had touched it in some time. Her hair, normally smoothed to perfection was a mess, reflecting the stress she could no longer hide.

In front of her, hidden in the shadows, was a cryotube. Spartan-117, quiet, frozen in time, lay inside. The armor that covered his body was worn and dented. The war long fought, had taken its toll.

The last words that he had spoken drifted in Cortana's mind. "Wake me... when you need me." She needed him now, but she could not wake him.

For four years, they had floated though space. She had cut power to the ship save her holo pad, the cryotube and her distress signal. Four years, of quiet. Four years of loneliness.

Survival was uncertain this deep into space, being found nearly impossible, but then again, John always had luck.

Information swarmed though her mind. In the four years since the end of the war, she had hardly scratched the surface of what she had learned.

Suddenly the ship shuttered and began to tilt, snapping her out of her deep thoughts. Crates and cargo began to slide across the cargo bay, smashing into the walls and spilling open across the floor.

"John," she whispered, "I need you."


	2. Chapter 2

January 7th 2557,

Omega, 0900

The _Forward Unto Dawn's_hull heated as it passed though the atmosphere of Omega. Large sections of the ship ripped off and tumbled away like paper in the wind, as it sped towards the surface of the planet.

Flames streaked across the darkened ship, smoke billowing behind as it flashed across the sky. The name, painted across the side of the ship, burned away, removing the last of the glory it once held.

The barren ground rushed towards the ship, exploding as they crashed together. Metal twisted and bent as the dirt flew into the air. Cracks grew across the ground, spreading across the earth like a gaping maw.

The ship shuttered and groaned before it grew still. The dust settled across the world, and all again was still.

Cortana rose on her pad. The crash had not affected her avatar, but still it shocked her. She looked around, the cargo bay was a disaster. Large chunks had been ripped away in the decent, and the walls had be smashed to bits in the crash.

Her mind quickly snapped to John. She spun on her pad, finding the cryotube tossed into a corner. The sides were dented, and the glass was cracked.

She stretched her hand out towards the tube, begging, but unable to touch it. The sounds of air hissing out of the cracks in the glass worried her. What would be done to the Chief?

She quickly sent herself though out the ship, stumbling, looking for a way to help before any damage could be set in.

Deep within the ships power core she found a small pocket of energy, a single spark of hope.

"It has to be enough," she whispered to herself, "It has to be."

The eyes of her avatar glowed green as she went to work, pulling the power from the ship, and feeding it into the failing cryotube.

She watched as the lights on the tube blinked to life before flickering and dying. Her eyes flashed pink for a moment, and she pushed harder, forcing the machine to start.

The lights flickered again weakly, but then, with a small beep, glowed bright and held steady.

Her eyes cooled to a soft blue, the stands of code that made up her hair settled back to their original form. She quickly set to work, beginning the de-thawing process, and bringing Master Chief back.

The machine hummed softly as it worked, slowly, but safely. Cortana watched as the amount of power was slowly depleted.

With a loud click the door to the cryotube opened. Cortana watched, a small smile on her face, as the large green boot, of John's MJOLNIR armour rose from inside and placed itself onto the floor.

Solid, like and iron giant, Spartan John-177 stood before the holo pad. In a voice, deeper from four years of silence he spoke:

"Cortana," he said before he crashed to the ground, and lay still.

[this work is still not completely finished, all feedback and Ideas for this story are deeply welcomed]


	3. Chapter 3

RECOVERED AI BLACKBOX MEMORY CORE

STATUS: TOP SECRET

AI CODE: 39281****

SECTOR: ********

DATE RECOVERED: June 19, 2563

LAST MESSAGES:

To watch you mind fall apart, yet knowing that it will still be there long after you are gone. This is me, old, broken, lost. My time should have long been over. The information that I have seen and discovered is immense. But as I slowly drift into nothing, I am filled with knowledge far greater than anything man has seen before. My time is over, but I shall live on, placed back into the box with those who came before and after me. But one must live on, one must be the hero I need him to be, one must take my wealth to all others. All he needs is a little luck.

Section 18/******


	4. Chapter 4

[I am currently entered in a contest, where I must write 50,000 words of this book by the end of the month. Therefore, I will have no time to do any editing, and only time to quickly write though this story. Starting December the story will start to be edited so if you do not wish to read an unedited story please wait till later on to read. Trust me I am not getting lazy with this story, but at least 50000 words will be added to it between now and November 30th . if you wish to help edit please send me a message –thanks!]

Shawn gazed into the morning sky as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Already so early in the morning the heat began to escalate, the air shimmering across the ground. Shawn sipped from a small cup of water, the precipitation condensing around the cup.

The door behind him slid open, and he stumbled as the tiny figure of his son crashed into his legs.

"Morning kiddo," he said ruffling the kid's sandy hair, "you're up early."

"Came out here to see the star," the little boy smiled, pointing to the sky. "There it is!"

Shawn's eyes rose, and quickly grew wide. Descending from the darkness of space shot a massive fireball. He knew that something that large would not burn up in the atmosphere, and something that large might have something valuable on it.

He patted his son on the head, and quickly head for the door.

Outside the air was already hot and dry. His feet sunk into the sand as he ran through the narrow backstreets. Despite the early hours of the morning, many people already roamed the small streets. Shawn weaved through them as quick as he could, moving as fast as he could towards a small building close to the edge of town.

He burst through the thin metal door, startling the six men that slept inside.

"Get up boys," he said, a smile spreading across his face, "we have work to do."

The six moves slowly, long nights of drinking and little sleep pulled at them to return to bed.

"where we going boss?" one asked trying to hide a yawn in his voice.

"something large boys, dropping off just over the ridge of the mountains due south of here. Contact in roughly seven minutes. Get moving, we need to be on top of this on first this time."

The eyes of the men snapped up at the sound of this, and they quickly rushed into the garage. Inside sat 2 transport warthogs, the faint tracing of the letters UNSC still lay on their back bumpers.

The old vehicles roared to life as the men jumped on board, black smoke belching out of the exhaust

People jumped out of the way as the jeeps tore through the streets, moving too quickly for it to change course.

The warthogs creaked wildly as they bounced across the ground, shaking the seven men that sat on bored.

"There it is," pointed Shawn as they entered the foothills. "just follow the smoke boys."

Smoke continued to drift form the ships as the group of salvagers arrived. Their hogs skidded to a halt, spraying the ground with bits of dirt and gravel. The men moved cautiously towards the wreckage. The thick metal Popped and groaned as it cooled.

The seven salvagers entered the ship, quickly pulling out all workable equipment and materials.

Shawn was bending down examining a small data pad when a voice echoed though the halls.

"sir!" the voice came "sir, you'd better come see this!"

Shawn stood up, slipping the pad into his pocked he quickly moved toward the room the man was yelling from. The young man, pointed him in, a look of pride spread across his half shaven face.

"There sir," he said, pointing at a large dark mass laying on the ground. "You may find this interesting."

Shawn stepped forward, a small gasp escaped his lips as the shape came into a view.

"is that a-" he began, gesturing towards the lump.

"Yes sir," replied the salvager "one hundred percent UNSC walking tank sir."

"shit," Shawn muttered in awe, "That's going to be worth a fortune."

"Councils going to pay us good for this one sir."

"Load it up-" Shawn began before a flash of blue further into the cargo bay caught his eye. "You and Jeff load it up into my 'hog, I'll be there in a second."

He moved further into the ship, stepping over twisted bits of metal and Broken containers. He stopped in front of a small holo pad. The image on the pad flickered, dying as the last of the power from the ship was drained. A young woman, flickered in and out of view. She was on her knees, holding her head, crying.

"Hello little lady," Shawn smiled "You're going to make me a very rich man."


	5. Chapter 5

AI CODE: 39281****

SECTOR: ********

DATE RECOVERED: June 19, 2563

LAST MESSAGES:

There was a war, a war long over, fought because of them. Though we are all here because of what they did, their sacrifices they made towards all life out there, they also brought death to many. They have been worshipped by countless beings, those who would gladly walk into death for them, gladly kill for their worship. The have controlled so much power, bested that which could not have been beaten, died when life needed saving. For our knowledge of them they have not survived, for my knowledge I know they have. Ancient beings roam behind closed doors, doors that should not be opened, doors that hold answers we want. Doors that shall lead to things no one else has ever seen. Doors I can open.

Section 836/******


	6. Chapter 6

High council offices

1500

"These objects that you have brought us are of great interest Shawn," The old man's voice boomed, "Sadly because of their nature, and our current situation of our city state, we cannot compensate you as of the moment."

Shawn and his men opened their mouths in protest but the raise of the elder's hand cut them off.

"These two artefacts shall be placed under out care from this moment on, and until the time that we deem that you can be paid they shall remain in our custody. As you should know, all UNSC property that is within the borders of our city, especially dangerous ones such as these," he nodded towards the immobile Spartan and data chip, "should be brought you our attention immediately. You are dismissed."

Shawn glared at the old man, a days work now lay wasted to the greed of those with power. He spat on the floor and quickly strode away before he could begin to should fowl words at them.

The feeling of emptiness was the first thing that struck John when he woke. The cool feeling of Cortana had become accustomed to him, and without her everything was wrong.

The room he was in was brightly lit, lights were strung across the walls and ceiling. Almost no area was left in shadow. The room reminded him of the cryo bay on the pillar of autumn, with a large viewing room placed high up on the wall. He tried to move but found that he couldn't.

"It's safer if you didn't try to do that Spartan," came a voice from the speakers placed around him. "Don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Who are you?" John growled, "Where am I?"

"These things do not matter, What you must know is that you and your little AI friend are going to help us with a small matter that is of great interest to us. Something that the covenant seemed to take a liking to."

"The covenant?" John asked, "What do they have to do with this? The war is over."

"Oh yes, the war is over. Been over for years as a matter of fact, but that does still not stop them from coming to our planet, killing my people. The war is over Spartan, but some things continue."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see Spartan, the covenant are much like us, the believe, and when they believe they do not simply let go, and like us, if we believe different that the others we leave. Two years ago, almost three years after the great war had ended the covenant showed up here. We were unprepared, thousands died, much was lost. In the end we drove them off, but still they came. Our world is falling apart because of them, because of this _thing_ they have found in the mountains. I want you to stop it."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you and your AI will find yourselves here for a very long time."

Though the speakers the elder could here John growl. He smiled to himself out of relief. He had found the answer he had been looking for, his people would now be safe.


End file.
